Guitarists
Colin Linden and Luther Dickinson Join Forces on Amour, a New Roots CD
Featuring Songs of Sentimental, Romantic Love, Due February 8 on Stony Plain
Records
WATERDOWN, ON - Stony Plain Records announces a February 8
release date for Amour, a new CD teaming the roots music guitar
talents of Colin Linden and Luther Dickinson. The CD was produced
by Colin Linden, recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, and features a
backing band dubbed “The Tennessee Valentines:” Dominic Davis – bass; Bryan
Owings – drums; Fats Kaplin – violin and accordion; and Kevin McKendree –
keyboards.
Linden and Dickinson recruited a host of Nashville talent as
guest vocalists on the new disc, including the legendary Billy Swan, who sings
lead on “Lover Please” (a song he wrote, which was recorded and
became a classic hit for Clyde McPhatter); as well as songbirds Rachael Davis
and Ruby Amanfu; plus two of Linden’s “Nashville” TV series buddies - Sam
Palladio (“Crazy Arms”) and Jonathan Jackson (“I Forgot to Remember to
Forget”).
“These are songs of sentimental, romantic love,” says Colin
Linden about the music on the new disc. “They come from country (“Crazy Arms”),
blues (“Honest I Do”), rock ‘n’ roll (“Lover Please”), rhythm and blues (“What
Am I Living For”) and folk music (“Careless Love”). I think that is a pretty
good read on what Americana really is. ‘Careless Love’ is the ‘id’ of the
record—a traditional song of love, longing and regret. I view the entire album
as a soundtrack for romance and romantics everywhere, bound together by melody
and atmosphere.”
Amour is the first collaboration between Colin
Linden (Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, ABC-TV show “Nashville)” and Luther Dickinson
(North Mississippi Allstars, Black Crowes) and consists of classic love songs
from the Americana world. Both Linden and Dickinson are true veterans of roots
music, having played with and produced some of the biggest names in the
business, while displaying the mantle of countless awards and accolades to
reflect that.
“Most of these songs I have known my whole life, and they
reached me in the same way,” says Colin Linden about the album’s origin. “I
mentioned the idea of recording them as a collection to my friend Luther
Dickinson, who said it was a good idea—and that it would be cool to work on it
together. Luther is not only a master musician, but also an artist with a great
vision and a soulful, wonderful human being.”
“Colin and I are fellow guitar-slinging, peace-loving,
freedom-fighting romantics who jump at any and every opportunity to play
guitars together,” adds Luther Dickinson. “Our only problem is not erupting
into joyous laughter as the music unfolds. In the spirit of brotherly love and
old-school ancient sonic explorations, Colin and I both plugged into a shared
guitar amp that you can hear in the middle. Our individual amps are spread out,
and though you can hear the different guitars popping thru here and there, it's
hard to tell who is playing what, and that only adds to Colin and my Amour
fest.”
“As time and fate would have it, all of the mighty folks who
joined us were also moved by these songs,” explains Linden. Blessed by one of
our heroes—and the composer of one of these songs—Billy Swan, we felt like we
were on the right road in doing this album. It was a band of angels we were
joined by; Luther suggested we call it ‘The Tennessee Valentines,’ based on the
beautiful song and these glorious spirits. But the real story is the love story
in the songs.”
Amour is Linden’s second album for the label
since Stony Plain re-signed the nine-time Juno Award-winning singer/guitarist
in 2015 and released his acclaimed Rich in Love CD that same
year. Stony Plain was also the home of Colin’s first studio album, The
Immortals, in 1986.
Colin Linden continues to be a very much in-demand musician,
having played on Gregg Allman’s 2011 Grammy-nominated Low Country Blues,
as well as Grammy-winner Rhiannon Giddens’ album, Tomorrow Is My Turn,
and Diana Krall’s Glad Rag Doll. He’s also produced 125 albums,
was the musical director on the hit TV show, “Nashville” and toured as guitarist for Bob Dylan, Bruce Cockburn, Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant and, among many others.
In addition, he was the featured guitar player on the PBS-TV
special saluting gospel music, “In Performance at the White House,” backing
such stars as Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Lyle Lovett and Shirley Caesar.
In recent years, he’s also played on the soundtracks for a number of feature
films, including Inside Llewyn Davis, The Hunger Games,
R.I.P.D. and the acclaimed documentary, A Place at the
Table, and in 2015 he was the music director for the
special tribute to legendary Sun Records founder Sam Phillips at the Country
Music Hall of Fame.
A genuine renaissance man of roots music, Colin is also a
member of the highly successful trio, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, who released the highly acclaimed
album, Kings & Queens, in 2011, which teamed
the band up with such guests as Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams,
Cassandra Wilson, Patti Scialfa and Holly Cole. That disc was followed by the Kings
and Kings album in 2016.
